Windshield cleaning device



April 16, 1963 R. M. GuNsALLUs WINDSHIELD CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 3l, 1961 INVENTOR Rickard Guaymas,

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,085,233 WENDSHIELD CLEANING DEVICE Richard M. Gunsallus, Bellefonte, Pa.

(Rl). 3, Runvilie, Fa.) Filed May 31, 1961, Ser. No. 113,881 1 Claim. (C1. 15m-ses) This invention relates to a windshield cleaning device and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements of parts herein described and claimed.

Generally there is provided a corncob axially bored to remove a good portion or all of the soft center pulp of the corncob. The chamber thus formed is filled or partially filled with a detergent substance or substances and the end of the chamber is then plugged to prevent loss of the detergent therefrom. The finished device, when soaked in water, provides an easily handled somewhat rough cleaner that is sufficiently soft and resilient to prevent scratching of windshields, windows, sinks, bathtubs, etc., while providing a good and safe coarse-textured abrading surface.

'It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide an economical and highly effective cleaner for windshields or the like from corncobs treated with detergent material.

It is another object to provide such a device in which the detergent substance is sealed in a chamber formed in the corncob by boring out at least part of the soft pulp core thereof.

It is a further object to provide a Windshield cleaner which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and yet highly effective and efficient in use.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification taken in conjunction with the drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is an elevational View, in vertical axial section, of a preferred embodiment of the invention,

iFIGURE 2 is a perspective view illustrating a typical use of the device, and

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view showing the device floating in a pan of Water for easy and convenient accessibility for use.

lWith reference now to the drawings, the numeral 11 generally designates the cleaning device as a unitl Device 11 comprises a corncob 12 axially bored at 13 to remove a good portion or all of the pulpy core thereof. 'Ihe bore 13 is then lled or partly lled with detergent mate- ICC rial 14, such as benzine crystals, alkali phosphates, alkali metasilicates, natural or synthetic organic detergents, glycerine, glycols, etc., or mixtures thereof.

The chamber is then closed to prevent loss of the in` serted material, as by the use of a plug 15 of wood, cork, rubber, plastic, sealing wax, paraffin, etc.

IBefore or after filling with detergent material, the corncob can be dipped in or otherwise coated or impregnated with a water-insoluble material, Vsuch at latex, as a relatively dilute solution in any suitable solvent, to increase the cohesion of the surface to minimize aking or disintegration thereof when in use. Said solution may also include dyes to give desired coloration to the finished cleaning device. Or the coloring could be effected as a separate or sole surface-treating operation.

In use, the device is dipped in water and allowed to soak long enough to dissolve some of the detergent and allow it to reach the surface of the corncob (unless the same had been saturated during manufacture,V as optionally could be done if preferred). The device is then grasped as shown in FIGURE 2 and rubber over the surface to be cleaned, with additional clippings in the Water if and as needed. 'Ihe device, due to its buoyancy, can conveniently be left ioating in the pan P, or in the spouted radiator lling can of an automobile service station, for quick and convenient accessibility between uses.

While but one form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that many min-or modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A low-cost iloatable cleaning device for Windshields or the like comprising a corncob, an axially extending charnb'er in said corncob, detergent .material arranged in said chamber, sealing plug means for closing said chamber, whereby upon moistening of said corncob a somewhat abrasive detergent-solution-carrying cleaning device is -provided.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,217 Good Mar. 31, 1891 535,588 Horton Mar. 12, 1895 2,596,565 Kautenberg May 13, 1952 2,880,439 Swartz Apr. 7, 1959 

